Combined swing and glide apparatus



' Jan. 5, 1943. -.E. w. LADD 2,307,141

- COMBINEVD SWING AND GLIDE APPARATUS Filed June 3, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan- 5, 1943. E. w. LADD f 2,307,141

COMBINED SWING AND GLIDE APPARATUS Filed June s. 1940 2 Sheng-Sheet 2 inver: 702..

ULM la.,

Patented Jan. 5, 1943 'Ebdil CGItiEINED SWHNG AND Ghibli' AiWARATUE-i Everett W. Ladd, Dedham, Mass.

Application .lune 3,l 1940,- Serial No.

6 Ciairns.

This invention relates to a combined swing and glide apparatus intended principally for use in playgrounds.

A primary object of the present invention is the provision of a horizontally traveling carriage carrying a swing and free to glide under the irnpetus of the swing so that a long travel of the swing seat is obtained.

A further object of the invention is generally to improve the construction and operation of swings,

Fig. l is a side elevation of a combined swing and glide apparatus embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken along line 2-2 oi Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 isv an enlarged detail o1" the glide carriage and swing suspension, the track and its supporting beam being illustrated in section.

Fig.. 4 is a view taken along line 5r-l of Fig.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of combined swing and glide apparatus embodying the invention the modication residing mainly in the form of stop for the gliding movement.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through one end part of the track structure of Fig. 5.

Fig, '7 is an end elevation of the structure of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section taken along line S-S of Fig. 6.

The combined swing and glide apparatus herein illustrated as embodying the present invention includes a horizontal track-supporting beam lil iiXed at its end parts to the upper ends of pairs of uprights l2 and it which diverge downwardly from the sides and also :from the ends of the beam, thereby to provide a stable support for the beam, The upper part-soi tbe upriglits of each pair are connected by a rigid tiemember i6 which prevents the spreading of the uprights. Tne uprights are further bracedto the beam by diagonal braces IS. The spread ofthe uprights under the tie-members is such as to allow a swing to pass freely therebetween.

The structure thus described is intended primarily for out-door use in a playground, for instance, and is intended as suitable means pro-- viding support for an elevated horizontal track 20.

Said track herein comprises a hollow vertical beam, rectangular in cross section, provided with a longitudinal slot or opening .22 in its lower wall and spaced horizontal rails 2li confronting the slot having upstanding flanges 25 at opposite sides of the slot. The track is lined by suitable vattaching means as bolts 26 and screws 28 to L tbe under face oi the beam lil and is'approrzimately oo-extensive in length with the beam.

A iour-wheeied swing-supporting traveling or gliding carriage It@ is located within the track and has a trarne part 32 carrying two axles tl and a pair ci wheels 3b on each axle, the wheels being journalled on tlie axles through anti-friction bearings Sii so that the carriage can glide or sweep freely lengthwise of the horizontal track with a minimum of effort. The spacing between the wheels oi each set is such that the wheels bear on and run ireelyalong the rails 2t of the track.

The carriage trame carries a depending bolt to which preferably is rigid with the frame and is located midway between the axles and passes loosely through the slot 2? of the track without binding the slot. v The lower screw-threaded end part of the bolt is clamped by nuts 42 to a triangularly-shaped strap it oi a flexible, metal, swing suspension tit. Said suspension suitably compises a separable double eye @it the upper eye ci which engages an eye 5S rigid with the strap dit and the lower eye of which engages a single eye 52. v

A. swing rope 5t is engaged with the eye 52 and has two branches 55 and 553 that are held apart by a spreader and carry the swing seat t2, Thus` the swing is suspended from the carnage.

i earns are provided to stop the carriage at the opposite ends oi its flight along the track. Suitable means, vherein illustrated, comprises a resilient stop iid and a positive abutment t6, there being a stop an abutment located at each of the two ends oi the track. The resilient stop its free end engaged by the triangularly-shaped vstrap it ci theV carriage, thereby gradually to bring the carriage. to a stop and to give it an impetus in the opposite direction, The positive abutment t6 comprises a bolt the end of which is arranged to be engaged by the free end oi the fiezied spring leaf close to its region oi engagement with the' strap thereby to limit the amount oi flexing or" the spring and positively to stop the movement ofthe carriage. The bolt is lined to a cross-member S53 attached to the respective set of uprights l2, it, which crossmember also overlies the open end of the track.

.iiin tbe described arrangement the swing, in use, ot only osciilates 4from the carriage but causes the carriage to travel back and forth on the track. Thus a lr g movement is provided although the length o the swing rope is short.

In operation the user of the swing, preferably when the swing is at one end of the track, sits in the swing, preferably facing the line of the track, and starts the swing as he pleases, as by pushing the swing backwards beyond the perpendicular with his feet and then lifting his feet to permit the swing to swing forward, whereupon the swing will not merely swing forward like a pendulum but will slide to theend of the track. On reaching the end of the track its pendulum effect will cause it to slide back again to the other end of the track. The swing will glide not only to the further end of the track but on reaching the further end of the track the passenger will go beyond the perpendicular or make a sharp'upsweep and then will swing backwards and glide to the other end of the track, this operation being repeated more than once for an initial impetus.

The dimensions of the apparatus can be varied within wide limits although if the length of the track is too long for the length of the swing the swing will start its return movement before the carriage has reached the end of the track which is not preferred. A rail twelve feet long at the height of seven feet with a swing suitable for this height has been found quite satisfactory. With these dimensions, and under an ordinary impetus the carriage strikes a spring leaf before the swing I has reached the limit of its oscillation.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 5 through S, the resilient stop 64 and the xed Stop 66 are replaced by a gravity stop '10, comprising an upwardly curved extension of the track 20, at each end thereof. The curved extension is conveniently formed by two opposed metal side plates 'l2 and 14 secured to opposite faces of an extension 1E of the track supporting beam I0, the plates having inwardly directed, upwardly-curved rails 18 aligned with the track rails 24, and flanges 80 aligned with the rail flanges 25. With this construction the cross-braces or tie-members I6 of the first described construction are omitted as the track extends outwardly beyond the uprights 12a and Ida.

When the carriage 3U reaches the end of the horizontal part of the track and moves upward on the curved end section, the carriage is rapidly stopped by gravity but the swing continues by its momentum, thus providing both a gravity and pendulum eifect for the return of the swing.

With the device illustrated, the swing is provided with a long horizontal sweep or iiight, due l to the ability of the carriage to glide from one to the other end of the track, and relatively sharp upsweeps at the ends of the horizontal sweep, due to the stopping ofthe carriage at the ends of the track while the swing ropes are not far from a vertical and the swing still has considerable momentum. These movements may be continued indefinitely by continued pumping of the swing.

I claim:

l. A combined swing and glide apparatus including a smooth horizontal track, a wheeled carriage on said track freely movable indiscriminately in opposite directions any distance lengthwise thereof within the limits of -the length of the track, means located near the opposite ends of the flight of said carriage operative to arrest the movement of said carriage and to give the carriage an impetus in the opposite direction and a swing below said track having a suspension from said carriage for oscillation lengthwise of said track.

2. A combined swing and glide apparatus including a -smooth horizontal track,'a wheeled carriage on said track freely movable indiscriminately in opposite directions any distance lengthwise thereof Within the limits of the length of the track, resilient means located in the path of movement of a part movable with said carriage at opposite ends of its iiight operative to arrest the movement of said carriage in one direction and give it an impetus in the opposite direction, and a swing below said track having a suspension from said carriage for oscillation lengthwise of said track.

3. A combined swing and glide apparatus including a smooth horizontal track having upwardly curved end sections, a wheeled carriage on said track freely movable indiscriminately in opposite directions lengthwise of both the horizontal and the curved parts thereof, and a swing below said track suspended from said carriage for oscillation lengthwise of said track.

4. A combined swing and glide apparatus arranged to provide the swing with va long horizontal iiight with sharp upsweeps at the ends of the long horizontal fiight when the momentum of the swing is sufficiently great, comprising a smooth horizontal elevated track, a wheeled carriage freely movable thereon at all times free from hindrance any distance in opposite directions within the limits of the length of said track, a swing suspended from said carriage and beneath said track oscillable lengthwise of said track, means at the ends of said track operative to arrest the movement of said carriage only in the direction of ight of said swing to permit the momentum of said swing to raise it on an arc having said carriage as a center and to permit said swing to travel in the opposite direction and to carry said carriage with it along said track to the other end thereof.

5. A combined swing and glide apparatus arranged to provide the swing with a long horizontal flight with sharp upsweeps at the ends of the horizontal iiight when the momentum of the swing is sufficiently great, comprising an elevated horizontal smooth track, a carriage on the track arranged to travel without restriction freely in both directions from one to the other end of the track, a swing suspended from the carriage below the track for oscillation lengthwise thereof, and means at the ends of the track arranged to arrest movement of the carriage only at the end and in the direction of its travel, said means being so spaced lengthwise of the track that with suiicient momentum of the swing. the swing carries the carriage across ther length of the track from one to the other carriage arresting means and is arrested by the remote carriage arresting means and the swing continues in a sharp upsweep about the stationary carriage as a center, the carriage always being free to move in the opposite direction.

6. A combined swing and glide apparatus of the type providing the swing with a long horizontal flight and sharp upsweeps at the ends of the horizontal flight, said apparatus including a smooth horizontal track, a wheeled carriage on said track freely movable indiscriminately in opposite directions any distance lengthwise thereof within the limits of the length of the track, means located at the opposite ends of the night of said carriage operative to arrest the movement of said carriage while permitting continued movement of the swing in a sharp sweep at each end of the free horizontal ight of the carriage, and a swing below said track having a suspension from said carriage for oscillation lengthwise of said track, said ight arresting means being suciently close together, with respect to the momentum of the swing, that the swing and carriage move together from one to the other flight arresting means and the movement of the carriage is arrested while the swing has ample momentum to cause it to make a sharp upsweep about the arrested carriage as a center and to move downwardly and horizontally with the carriage.

EVERETT WM.-LADD. 

